Saban's Masked Rider
Masked Rider is an American adaptation of the Japanese television series Kamen Rider Black RX, the ninth in a line of series in the popular Kamen Rider Series franchise, but also used footage from the two Japanese Kamen Rider movies Kamen Rider ZO and Kamen Rider J. It was produced by Saban and aired on the Fox Kids programing block from September 16, 1995 to August 31, 1996 and then in syndication from September 9, 1996 to September 1997. On May 7, 2010 the copyright for Masked Rider was transferred from BVS International to SCG Power Rangers. The main title character of Masked Rider was featured in a 3-part Power Rangers episode, "A Friend in Need", one week before his own series debuted. The Rangers themselves were never mentioned in the Masked Rider television series, however, as Saban reformatted the series to sever links with Power Rangers, because the popularity of that series was declining at the time. The Rangers did, however, make a guest appearance in Masked Rider's short-lived comic book adaptation. Like the early seasons of Power Rangers and VR Troopers, Masked Rider's battle and villain scenes were taken from Japanese stock footage – specifically Kamen Rider Black RX, (with a few exceptions, they'd occasionally have the American actors interact with the Japanese villain footage as with the episode "Exit Nefaria, Enter Barbaria", which seems to be filmed with American footage.) Episodes also occasionally had Ferbus interact with Combat Chopper and Magno (which were Japanese stock props). Story The series began with the main character, Dex, escaping the Plague Patrol with a small group of Edenoites rebels, before leaving for Earth, the next target of his sinister uncle Count Dregon, who ruled Edenoi with an iron fist after displacing Dex's grandfather, King Lexian, who also gave Dex the Masked Rider powers (where the powers came from is a mystery, although apparently they have been in use for some time by Edenoi's champions). Arriving on Earth in a massive crater, Dex finds himself in the care of the Stewarts, a multiracial family consisting of a white father and daughter (named Hal and Molly respectively), an Asian wife (Barbara), and an African-American son (Albee). The addition of an extra Stewart was not noticed by anyone (although, according to Albee, he and Molly are adopted) in Leawood, the town where the series took place in. Dex defends the town as Masked Rider from Count Dregon and his vicious Insectovores. Edenoi was mentioned in Power Rangers as the planet where Alpha 5 (and presumably the Alpha line of robots) was created, though not one single building or factory to be seen on the planet surface of Edenoi; it is largely assumed that Count Dregon's domination of the planet was absolute and rendered it a dying husk. Indeed, the original storyline saw Dex being dispatched to Earth by his grandfather as Edenoi was prepared to explode, ripping into an aspect of the Superman mythology. The scene in which Dex is given his powers by King Lexian (a scene which differs from the televised version) remains in the title sequence, possibly one of the few remaining aspects of the original pilot. Dex's Masked Rider armor was also eventually given upgrades to change into "Masked Rider Super Gold", a gold-and-black variation equipped with a powerful laser gun, the Ecto-Ray, and "Masked Rider Super Blue", a blue-and-grey variation with the power of liquified teleportation and a powerful sword, the Blue Saber. Edenoites are descended from insects, not apes. Dex is not aware that humans did not evolve from bugs (as he discovered in an episode where he gives a report about how humans evolved from insects). Edenoites also possess telepathic abilities that are focused through a gem in the forehead, which can be hidden telepathically, though in times of stress can become visible. The gem is capable of focusing mental energy, as well as creating mental imagery that can be shared with others. Dex apparently possesses the knowledge needed to detoxify Leawood's rivers using solar-powered lasers. Dex had a furry friend named Ferbus, a small bear/duck-like creature that followed him to Earth. Ferbus was kept hidden by Molly and Albee because Hal was allergic to fur. Ferbus is eventually revealed to the entire family during the course of the series. Dex is a loquacious individual. In the first episode, Molly and Albee told him to speak like a regular person, and that he could learn how to do that by watching TV. Sadly, Dex misunderstood and repeated what he heard in the way that he heard it. Characters Masked Riders Allies *Ferbus *Hal Stewart *Barbara Stewart *Molly Stewart *Albee Stewart *Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Supporting *King Lexian *Magno *Combat Chopper *Patsy Carbunkle *Herbie *Principal Henry Chalmers *Moon Dude *Donais *Zaruis *Ferrian Villains *Count Dregon *Nefaria *Cyclopter *Doubleface *Gork *Fact *Plague Sentry *Maggots *Commandoids *Plague Patrol *Cogwarts *Diskey *Insectovores Episodes #Escape from Edenoi: Part 1 #Escape from Edenoi: Part 2 #License to Thrill #Pet Nappers #Bugs on the Loose #Arcade Ace #Super Gold: Part 1 #Super Gold: Part 2 #The Grandma Factor #Something's Trashy #Water Water Everywhere #Ferbus' First Christmas #Stranger from the North #Dance Crazy #The Green-Eyed Monster #The Heat Is On #Know your Neighbour #The Dash #Battle of the Bands #Ferbus Maximus #Unmasked Rider #Ferbus' Day Out #Jobless #Back to Nature #Testing 1, 2, 3 #Showdown at Leawood High #Power Out #Saturday Morning Invasion #Passenger Ferbus #Mixed Doubles #Million Dollar Ferbus #Ectophase Albee #Race Against Time #Cat-Atomic #Indigestion #Dex at Bat #The Invasion of Leawood #The Eye of Edenoi #Exit Nefaria, Enter Barbaria #Detention VHS & DVD release In the U.S., two VHS tapes were released in April 1996: "Escape from Edenoi" and "Super Gold". In the United Kingdom, Jetix Films released one DVD which includes both parts of "Escape from Edenoi" and "License To Thrill". On March 12, 2012, Shout! Factory announced a home video distribution deal with Saban, which includes the first 17 seasons of Power Rangers, VR Troopers, Beetleborgs and Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation. Masked Rider was not announced yet. Notes *The background music was later used throughout the first season of Digimon: Digital Monsters as well as most of season 2 and some of season 3 and in Digimon: The Movie. *The Masked Riders of the past have the same names as their Japanese counterparts with the exception of Masked Rider Warrior Leader (whose Japanese counterpart is Kamen Rider 1), Masked Rider Warrior Commander (Kamen Rider V3) and Masked Rider Strongman (Kamen Rider Super-1). However, almost everyone after Warrior Leader ends up introducing himself with the wrong name, due to the fact that Kamen Rider 2 and Riderman were edited out from the roll call footage, but their names were still kept in a chronological order, resulting in a switch-up. **Kamen Rider V3 = Warrior Commander **Kamen Rider X = V3 **Kamen Rider Amazon = Riderman **Kamen Rider Stronger = Masked Rider X **Skyrider = Amazon **Kamen Rider Super-1 = Strongman **Kamen Rider ZX (Z-Cross) is the only one who kept his name unchanged, while Skyrider's and Super-1's true names were never mentioned. Category:International Adaptation Series